Railway locomotive



Sept. 20, 1938.

Fig. I

WITNESSES:

J. P. SHAMBERGER ET AL RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE Filed NOV. 29, 1935 5 SheetsQ-Sheet 1 INVEHTORS. Ja/m Shamber erand 'gan/(L-A/ en.

ALI'TORNEY Sepi. 20, 1938.

J. P. SHAMBERGER ET AL 2, ,908

RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE Filed Nov. 29, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IEI '5 WITNESSES:

- I INVENTORVS. John P Shamberger and Frank L. Alben.

' ATT'bRNEY W KM Sept 20, 1931;.

J. P. SHAMBERGER ET AL RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE- Filed Nov. 29, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS- John R Shamber er and fgmk L. Al en.

' ATT'CRN EY Patented Sept. 20, 1938 PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE John P. Shamberger, Wilkinsburg, and Frank L.

Alben, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 29, 1935, Serial No. 52,146

4 Claims.

Our invention relates to railway locomotives and more particularly to electric locomotives of the articulated type designed for high speed operation.

In order that an articulated locomotive will have the proper tracking characteristics for high speed operation, it is necessary that it have a long effective wheel base and the proper distribution of weight on the guiding trucks. Also, in order that an articulated locomotive will satisfactorily pass over cross-overs and go around sharp curves, it is necessary that lateral displacement be permitted in the hinge which connects the sections of the locomotive frame.

An object of our invention, generally stated, is to provide an articulated locomotive which shall be simple and efficient in operation and which may be readily and economically manufactured.

A more specific object of our invention is to provide an articulated locomotive having a long effective wheel base.

Another object of our invention is to provide for lateral movement of the connecting member for the frame sections of an articulated locomotive.

A further object of our invention is to provide for resiliently centering the connecting pin of an articulated locomotive.

Still another object of our invention is to resiliently retain the truck sections of an articulated locomotive in longitudinal alinement.

Other objects of our invention will be explained fully hereinafter or will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

In accordance with one embodiment of our invention' the mallet hinge which connects the two sections of an articulated locomotive is so constructed that a predetermined amount of lateral movement between the ends of the two trucks is permitted when the locomotive is passing over cross-overs or going around sharp curves. Spring members are provided in the mallet hinge to ofier resistance to the lateral movement and to center the articulation pin when the locomotive is operating on a straight track. In addition to the spring members in the mallet hinge, spring buffers are provided on the adjoining ends of the truck frames to offer resistance to pivotal movement of the frame sections, thereby providing a long eifectivewheel base.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of our invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an electric locomotive embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed view, in elevation, of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the mechanism for connecting the frame sections;

Fig. 3 is a View, similar to Fig. 2, a portion of the structure being broken away for clearness;

Fig. 4 is a view, partially in plan and partially in section of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view, in section, taken along the line VV of Fig. 4; I

Fig. 6 is a disassembled view, in plan, illustrating parts of the connecting hinge mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a View, in elevation, of the parts shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view, in plan, of certain other parts of the hinge mechanism, and

Fig. 9 is a view, in section, taken along the line IX-IX of Fig. 8.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the electric locomotive illustrated therein comprises a cab II], which is mounted upon an articulated frame structure comprising two sections II and I2. The sections are similar in construction; each section comprising an integral frame member l3, driving wheels I4 and a guiding truck 15. The two sections are connected by a mallet hinge l6 which will be more fully described hereinafter.

In order to resist pivotal movement of the frame sections about the pivotal connection, a pair of spring buffers I1 and 18 are disposed on the adjoining ends of the frame structures at each side of the locomotive. The spring buffers are so disposed that the pair on one side is compressed when the locomotive is going around a curve in one direction and the pair on the other side is compressed when the locomotive is on a curve in the opposite direction. In this manner, longitudinal misalinement of the two sections of the locomotive is prevented when it is operating on tangent track, thereby creating the effect of a locomotive having a long wheel base and improving the operating characteristics, partlcularly at high speeds.

As shown in Fig. 4, each one of the spring bufiers l1 comprises a plunger 2|, disposed inside a collar 22 that is removably attached to the end of the truck frame I3 by stud bolts 23. Spring members 24 and 25, which are separated by a washer 26, are disposed in a recess 2'! in the frame to force the plunger 2| outwardly against a shoulder 28 in the collar 22. The spring buffers 18 are similar in construction to the bufiers IT with the exception that the face of the plunger which engages the coacting plunger on the adjoining frame section is rounded. As shown, the springs behind the plungers are all slightly compressed when the frame sections are in longitudinal alinement, thereby resisting pivotal movement of the frame sections about their pivotal connection.

In order to reduce the stress on the mallet hinge l6 when the locomotive is passing over a cross-over or going around a sharp curve, it is desirable to provide for a predetermined amount of lateral movement between the coacting parts of the hinge connection. However, any lateral movement in the hinge connection is undesirable when the locomotive is operating on tangent track, especially at high speeds.

As shown, particularly in Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive,

the pivotal connection comprises a male portion 3i and a female portion 32, which are held together by a removable hinge pin 33 that is retained in position by a cotter key 34. The pin 33 passes through a ball 35, which is seated in a slidable spring yoke 36 that is resiliently supported in the male casting 3| by a plurality of springs 31. The yoke 36 comprises an upper section 38 and a lower section 39 which may be held together by rivets 4|. i The male casting 3! is provided with a centrally disposed rectangular opening 42 for receiving the rectangular portions 43 and 4 5 of the members 38 and 39, respectively, which form aseat for thenball 35. The casting 3! is also provided with two rectangular openings. 45 which coincide with similar openings Mi in the yoke 367for, receiving a pair of spring supporting bars M between which the springs 31 are disposed.

As shown, the three springs of each set may, be placed between a pair'of the bars 4'! and compressed sufliciently to permit them to be inserted into the openings wand 46 provided in the casting 3i and the yoke 36. Each pair of the spring bars 41 is retained in positionby a pin 48 which passes through the middle one of each group of springs and is held in the casting 3| by a cotter key 49. g

It will be noted that the central portions 43 and 44 of the yoke members 38 and 39 are somewhat smaller than the opening 42 in the casting 3l, thereby permitting a predetermined amount of lateral movement of the yoke 36 relative to the casting 3|. Since theball 35 is seatedin the yoke 36, the hinge pin 33, which passes through the ball,.moves with the yoke and, therefore, the female casting 32 is permitted to move, laterally, relative to the male casting 3! when the locomotive is passing over a cross-over or going around a curve.

However, the springs 31 function to resist lateral movement in the hinge connection since the springs must be compressed for movement in either direction. In this manner the hinge pin 33 1's resiliently retained in its central position when the locomotive is operating on tangent track, lateral movement between the two frame sections being permitted only under certain conditions, as hereinbefore described.

' From therforegoing description, it is apparent that the spring buffers disposed at theouter edges of the locomotive frame and the springs disposed at each side of the hinge pin cooperate to provide an articulated locomotive structure having a long effective wheel base, thereby improvingthe operating characteristics of the locomotive.

Since numerous changes may be made in the above-described construction, and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all'matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim as our invention: v

1. In a railway locomotive, in combination, an. articulated frame structure comprising a plurality of sections, laterally movable means for connecting the sections of the frame structure, a yoke slidably disposed in one frame section through which said connecting means passes, resilient means disposed in said yoke and cooperating with said frame section and the yoke for yieldingly retaining said connecting means in a centrally disposed position in said frame section, and follower bars disposed at opposite ends of said resilient means to make all of said resilient means effective to resist lateral movement of said connecting means in either direction.

2. In a railway locomotive, in combination, an articulated frame structure comprising a plurality of sections, laterally movable means for connecting the sections of the frame structure, a slidable yoke disposed in one frame section for engaging said connecting means, springs disposed in said yoke at opposite sides of the connecting means and cooperating with said frame section and the yoke for yieldingly retaining said connecting means in a centrally disposed position in said frame section, and follower bars disposed at opposite ends of said springs to make all of said springs effective to resist lateral movement of said connecting means in either direction.

3. In a railway locomotive, in combination, an articulated frame structure comprising a plurality of sections, pivotal means for connecting the sections of the frame structure comprising a hinge pin, laterally displaceable means disposed in one section of the frame for engaging the hinge pin, springs disposed in said laterally displaceable means and'coacting with said frame section and said laterally displaceable means at opposite sides of the hinge pin to resist lateral movement there of, and follower bars disposed at opposite ends of said springs to make all of said springs effective to resist lateral movement of the hinge pin in either direction.

4. In a railway locomotive, in combination, an articulated frame structure comprising a plurality of sections, pivotal means for connecting the sections of the frame structure comprising a hinge pin,'laterally displaceable means disposed in one section of the framefor engaging the hinge pin, springs disposed in said laterally displaceable means and coacting with said frame section and said laterally displaceable means at opposite sides of the hinge pin to resist lateral movement thereof, and means disposed at opposite ends of' said springs for removably retaining the springs in position in one of said frame sections, all of said springs being effective to resist lateral movement of the hinge pin in either direction.

JOHN P. SHAMBERGER. FRANK L. ALBEN 

